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Friday, February 27, 2015

I know that some of you are quickly coming to the end of "scarf season", but for some of us there's still plenty of cold weather & snow to be found & scarf wearing to be done.

While I love all the individual elements of this outfit - stripes, utility vest, plaid blanket scarf, distressed jeans, cognac boots - what I really want to talk about is the solution to my problem.

Although I've totally been on board with the blanket scarf trend, I often feel like I'm eating my scarf...it's all up in my face getting fuzzels on my freshly applied lip gloss & giving the appearance that I'm literally trying to hide under a blanket (that happen to anyone else?).

Combine this problem with my love of cuff bracelets & voila - a solution!! I put the cuff on the scarf rather than my wrist!

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

As we start to see glimpses of Spring begin to tease us, I start to tire of my "winter" wardrobe. I long for the brighter colors, the floral prints, & short sleeved tops!

Today's outfit is just a reminder, however, that we can still start pulling out those items from the back of the closet - they just may need some layers added to them for now.

I fell in love with this sleeveless dress late last summer & was eager to wear it again even though there is snow on the ground. To "warm it up" I added a cable knit sweater over the top of it, which gives the appearance that it's actually a skirt & not a dress. Even the ladies at the LOFT (where I got the dress) thought it was a skirt, hehe!

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Happy Friday!! Today we just wanted to follow-up on a few items, so today post will just be a catch-all of randomness :-)

First up, these shoes. I discovered them from Tori the other day when she posted this picture on Instagram. I have been truly wanting a pair of hot pink heels for what seems like forever, so when I realized they were just like the cobalt ones I have, I knew these needed to be mine too! Like Tori said, the height of the heel is perfect on these & the cobalt ones are always an eye-catcher, so I'm guessing these will be too.

Next up - in this post I talked about how great Lace Top Extenders are for adding length to your top so that you can have added coverage when wearing leggings or skinny jeans. I was in Evereve(formerly Hot Mama) the other day & they are now carrying them in-store in a variety of colors. They did mention they are flying off the shelves whenever they are re-stocked, but its a great option for a local purchase (or you can buy online through them too).

Also currently at Evereve they are offering an additional 20% discount off already marked-down items. I was able to get this dress & one other for under $25 each with this sale, so its a great time to shop their stock!

On another sale note, Express is offering select styles of Outerwear for 40% off for a limited time. I was given the (minus the leather) Quilted Moto Jacket in Cognac over the holidays & I love it!! If you're in the market at all, I would highly recommend you trying the (minus the leather) moto jackets Express offers. The thickness & weight are ideal & I love that my movements aren't restricted at all. #bigshoulderproblems. Here's a recap of mine - of note, I am wearing a size Large in this jacket (Medium being my typical Express size)...

The last follow-up we have for you today is related to this post. Stacie mentioned that she was going to experiment with different shades of lip color to use as a "color pop". Here's a new favorite of hers using Too Faced, Melted Violet.

As you can see, even though it's makeup, it adds a bold finishing touch to an outfit - a perfect way to dress up a casual look with a pop of color on your smile!!

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

I often ogle at the super stylish items other bloggers find at Forever 21. To be honest, I don't spend much time shopping there because I find their wide variety somewhat overwhelming. I've heard a secret to shopping there is to browse online, but you need to be careful of their return policy if you purchase online (be sure to check their in-store return policy too before buying).

All that being said, I was simply passing through the F21 at my local mall recently - literally going from the outside vistas to the indoor shops - & I passed this jacket hanging on the rack. After slipping it on I went ahead & purchased it - the weight, length & color of the jacket will fill a gap in my wardrobe & the price was very reasonable (as are most items at F21).

Underneath the jacket I took a cue straight from Carylee. When I saw her outfit here it dawned on me that I usually wear my gingham button-up as a layering piece. Thanks to her I was inspired to pull out my black denim (that I always forget about) & simply wear my gingham top with a bib necklace.

I've talked recently about being on a "simple" kick (see more here) & this outfit falls into that category. Bottom line is it's just a button up with denim, heels & a necklace topped off with a neutral jacket - put all these simple elements together & it looks far from simple. Starbucks said it best...

...I don't know what a Flat White is, but I loved the statement that "Simplicity Is Its Own Artistry". Well said Starbucks - I'm embracing this, are you?

P.S. A lot of the items I'm wearing above are from past seasons or not available online so I've linked to options below. For the exact jacket or necklace - which are both recent purchases - visit your local stores.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Patterns are everywhere, but there's been a pattern in fashion that's been hot this past year - the grid print (or windowpane print). This pattern actually has a lot of versatility to offer - it meshes well with other patterns & makes for easy pattern mixing if that's what you like. Or, it simply makes a statement of its own if pattern mixing isn't your thing.

I haven't done inspiration boards in a while, so I put myself to task & came up with these styling ideas on how you can wear grid print.

I like how easy grid print is to style for any occasion - casual, to professional & every stop in between. This print would also look fantastic with leopard print (imagine a grid print dress with a leopard cardi!), or for a big statement try inverted grid (white with black grid on top, & black with white grid on bottom).

Here are some great grid print options currently available - I'm in love with the pencil skirt from Express & the joggers from The Limited, but I'd be glad to have any of these in my closet!!

So, are you on the grid train? What's your favorite way to wear this simple pattern?

P.S. We've joined a group of bloggers to give you the chance to win a $600 Visa Giftcard - follow us on Instagram and enter there!

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

With the upcoming holiday weekend, I wanted to talk about a good looking and user friendly weekender bag. I am fortunate that I get to travel a lot. My husband is a pilot for a legacy airline carrier and I get to take advantage of traveling. I also get to go away to the family cabin frequently. I am super spoiled!!! With that said, I have come to learn what I like about travel bags and what I absolutely despise.

The other week, I happened to be looking at my Twitter feed and came across a company I hadn't heard of yet, Lo & Sons. The bag they featured on Twitter that day was their OMG bag (which I'm dying to get my hands on!!!) and it caught my attention. So I decided to check them out and I'm glad I did.

I love how their story began - Helen Lo was in her 60's when she got fed up with looking for the perfect travel bag. She is a frequent traveler that has back issues. Her two sons, Jan and Derek, convinced her to design her own bag. With their help, she did just that and then some.

The bag I want to tell you about is their Catalina bag. I love that this bag is super spacious. It definitely has room for the weekend. It will even hold a toiletry bag along with everything else you might need. My favorite part of the bag is the bottom zip compartment. It will hold a pair of boots or dirty clothes. It has two outside convenient compartments for easy access to things like sunglasses. There is also an inside zipped compartment to hold small items like jewelry. There are just a few things I would like to see added such as a shoulder strap and maybe a zipped outside pocket. The bag is pricey unless they are having a sale, which of course I wouldn't bring that up unless they were. Right now they are having a Valentine's 20% off.

What do you look for in a weekend bag??

All the necessities to be packed.

Top compartment filled.

Bottom zip compartment.

All loaded and zipped up.

Day dreaming

I truly find Helen Lo's story inspiring. Seeing a dream come true at any age is an incredible achievement. Like my husband always says to me, "without dreams we have nothing to live for."

Monday, February 9, 2015

My husband and I are starting the long process of updating our 1995 built house. I have a passion for this kind of stuff, but my husband definitely does not share my enthusiasm. I have already done some things to the house such as new paint through out and we updated the powder room. I try to take on projects I know I can handle and I will also try/ learn new projects.

This leads me to House Update Project #1.....De-Brassing!! Nothing dates a house of this era quite like brass fixtures and lighting. We have already done a lot of new light fixtures, but the door knobs just got updated. That took me to the front door. While we did purchase a new door knob for it, I still had the kick plate to replace and the screen door knob and kick plate. While shopping for the knobs at the local home improvement store, I was astounded at the price to update the kick plate to oiled bronze and the screen door was just silly. I could nearly buy a new door for the price because they were custom orders.

Let me tell you, the $50.00 styles were ugly so of course it would have been more money.

This is when I met my new best friend, Rust-oleum Oil Rubbed Bronze. At $6.00 a can and that is with a primer included, I thought, why not try it. I have to replace this stuff no matter what.

To prep for this project, I took the fixtures a part and the cleaned each one of them with Mineral Spirits ($14.00). I then placed them on cups so I could spray the pieces easily. This process was very simple to do and quick.

Then, I started to spray the pieces. I did three coats of paint. The beauty of this paint is that you only wait a minute or two between each coat. By the time I finished spraying everything once, I could start on the next coat.

Once I let them dry over night, I put everything back together. The results are amazing. For $20.00 (Rust-oleum and Mineral Spirits cost) I got a new look to the front of my house. It saved me well over $125.00. Well worth it.

Before

After

This was surprisingly easy to do and so fulfilling for me. I love putting my hands to work on our family home. It brings me more joy than getting new items for the house. On to the next project, updating our outdoor lighting using the same method. I will post it for you when I have finished.

Friday, February 6, 2015

There's been alerts lately about upcoming trends for this year, so I thought we should take the time to talk about them here. Some I love & others I just can't be on board with (at the moment at least).

Heck yeah, I can be on board with this one (in fact, when is this not a trend). Black & white are a classic, easy-to-do color combo that withstand the test of time. Plus you can accomplish any look with black & white: sophisticated, edgy, professional, casual, feminine, sexy, chic, etc!

Here are some great picks from Express & Sole Society that fall into this theme (some are not pictured in Black & White below, but come in that option):

Red

Another upcoming trend according to LOFT and White House Black Market is Red! I'm definitely happy to see red making a come back after jewel tones stole the show for Fall & Winter. Plus it's perfect for the "month of love"! Wearing red gives you a sense of brightness & power & looks great against many skin tones!

Beautiful Reds from LOFT & White House Black Market:

Alright, now let's talk about the upcoming trends that I'm a bit nervous about, shall we?

Block Heels

According to People Style Watch (February edition) the block heel will be back this year. They say "these strappy, easy-to-walk-in shoes are fashionable and functional"...I say "ew"! To each their own, but this reminds me of shoes from the late 90's & I'm just not ready to go back there yet! I may eat crow down the road after I see some ways these will be worn, but for now, I'm going to need some convincing.

I guess the people at People Style Watch know what they're talking about though, because I got this email from Nordstrom the other day...I will at least say I like the one in the Nordstrom pictures better than the examples in the magazine. I think what bothers me are the super chunky, square heeled options in the picture above...especially the lower heels.

Here are a few examples of the Block Heel - some I like & some I don't:

Culottes

Yep, you read that right - Culottes are coming back according to People Style Watch (still February edition). There are no words! Again I may eat crow on this, but I'm just not seeing the "style" in these pleated, super wide leg capris...oy!

Again, the people at People Style Watch are in the fashion business for a reason I suppose, but I was still caught in amazement the other day when I saw these on a mannequin at JCPenney. I got nothing y'all..am I the only one who's not digging these??

...and for your browsing pleasure - culottes:

Well, there you have it - a small round-up of just a few of the trends we can expect this year. Tell me - what are you on board with & which will you be saying "no thank you" to??

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

If there is any true pattern to my style it is definitely a K.I.S.S. pattern! Keep It Simple Silly (or the other word if you'd like), is how I roll. If I start to over think an outfit, I tend to get frustrated or just think I look weird. I absolutely love that I can take a plain white tee, jeans, white Converse and add a color pop.

My go to right now are hot pink earrings. These Kendra Scott beauties are irresistible and gorgeous. Who are we kidding, anything Kendra Scott is gorgeous! I will also use my shoes as my color pop as well. Converse are my absolute favorite because of where I work and because they are just plain awesome sauce!!! (I have a commercial to thank for that statement...LOL!!!) Not only can you get amazing colors with Converse, you can get fun patterns like mine and my niece's favorite LEOPARD....oh yes they did...I know right!!!???

Any way you look at it, adding a pop of color takes your outfit to the next level and gives you an absolute effortless style.....which is my favorite (oh, I already told you that. =-D) So go ahead ladies, break out those black or white tees and add some color pop!!!!

Btw....I'm experimenting with different shades of lipstick as my color pop and I will let you know how that turns out!!!!

Monday, February 2, 2015

Today I'm participating the the monthly Pin-spired link up, which is perfect because I came across this pin the other day. It was one of those pins where you realize you already have each piece in the outfit already - so hey, why not replicate it, right?!

This outfit inspiration was also perfect timing because I just picked up these over the knee boots for a steal of a deal the other day at Target. I've been a big fan of the over the knee boot trend this year, but hadn't added any to my wardrobe because I didn't feel that they were *that* different from my other tall boots. However, when I came across these for less than $14 it was a no-brainer. Online they are still $40, however I would encourage you to look at various locations in-store. I've mentioned it before that different locations put items on mark-down at different times, so it may be worth looking around.

As I said before, I had each of these individual pieces already, I just hadn't worn them all together before, but I was more than happy to let Pinterest do the work for me on this one! When it comes to remixing your pieces, it goes without saying that Pinterest is your best friend.

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